Rebel fighters in West Papua have killed an Indonesian soldier in a renewed threat to Jakarta's road project there.
Indonesia Army Special Forces soldiers (Kopassus) perform a quick attack during a simulated hostage bus hijacking drill in their headquarters complex in Kandang Menjangan, Sukoharjo, Central Java, Indonesia, on Monday, September 16, 2013. Photo: AFP / EyePress
State news agency Antara reported the hit-and-run attack on Saturday took place in Nduga regency, where rebels are waging war on the state.
An Indonesian researcher, Hipo Wangge, said it was the ninth killing of a security officer by the West Papua Liberation Army since April.
The soldier was reportedly securing the Trans-Papua road project, a major effort by the Indonesian government to develop remote areas of Papua.
In December, part of the project near Nduga was put on hold when Liberation Army fighters massacred 16 construction workers.
The attack - the bloodiest in years to take place in Papua - prompted a massive deployment of Indonesian military and police to Nduga in a hunt for the rebels, sparking sporadic gunfights which have taken dozens of lives in the months since.
Rights groups say thousands of people have been displaced from Nduga. According to one group, at least 139 displaced people have died of malnutrition and disease in a temporary camp in nearby Wamena city.
Indonesian military spokesperson Muhammad Aidi told Antara in the attack on Saturday, the soldier suffered a gunshot wound to his waist and later died, with a helicopter rescue effort hampered by bad weather.